Breaking Barriers: Veronica's Path to Homeownership

Veronica has just become the first person in her family to purchase a home. It is a happy ending to a journey that has been exasperating at times.

Veronica and her daughters, ages 9 and 7, were renting an income-based apartment and had applied for a Section 8 voucher when she experienced what is known as the “benefits cliff.” She received a raise at her job in housekeeping at Atrium Baptist Health – only to be told she now earned too much money for the voucher or the apartment. She was stunned. “I said, ‘How am I supposed to get ahead? What am I supposed to do? I got a raise but the cost of living keeps going up!’ ”

She went to the Department of Social Services to find out about home buying programs, and it was there she learned about Habitat. “I had never heard of Habitat for Humanity,” she said. “I filled out the application and wrote a letter saying why I wanted a home. I was so happy when they called me in for an interview that I just broke down. I was getting so discouraged.”

The Habitat staff has been incredibly supportive, she said. “I LOVE the homeownership classes. They taught me things I never knew, like how to budget, how to keep up a yard, how to fix things yourself so you don’t have to call someone all the time, how to set goals for yourself.” Now that she is about to achieve her goal of owning a home, Veronica has set her next goal: enrolling in the pharmacy technician program through Goodwill Industries, an opportunity she learned about through Habitat. As for her daughters, they are thrilled that they will each have rooms of their own for the first time in their Habitat home.



“I thank God for the classes, for Habitat, and for all the people who have come out to teach us,” Veronica said. “I am so happy that I took this leap of faith and signed up for Habitat.”

Travel with a Purpose: RV Care-A-Vanners Build Communities with Habitat

Branded as “retirement with a purpose,” the RV Care-A-Vanner program invites volunteers to travel and build in partnership with local Habitats across North America. In early July, Maggie and Bob Appenzeller began their eastward expedition from Oklahoma to North Carolina. After a week visiting family in Tennessee and Virginia, the couple settled in Forsyth County for two weeks building houses and turning neighborhoods into communities. 

“After retiring, we wanted to do something where we could volunteer together and see different parts of the country,” Maggie said. The couple has a long history of volunteering at nonprofit organizations, bettering the communities in which their adventures take them. Last year, Bob and Maggie spent two weeks building in Colorado through Habitat for Humanity Archuleta. Back home in Oklahoma, Maggie is a regular volunteer for infant crisis services, providing diapers and formulas for children in the community. 

“We have met some truly awesome people in Forsyth County,” Maggie said. “The job site is built on teamwork.” Mentorship and the willingness to learn new skills capture the essence of a Habitat Forsyth volunteer. Although she picked up some skills in Colorado such as installing stairs and decks, hanging doors was a new concept to Maggie and Bob. Construction supervisor Dale was helpful in training the adaptable couple. “At first I didn’t understand,” Maggie said laughing. “Once Dale showed me the ropes, I picked it up quickly.”

The collaborative nature of the build site and culture of reciprocity is a unique feature of Habitat Forsyth. The training process is highly efficient, built on trust and mutual respect. Once one or two volunteers are given instruction, they are able to train the rest of the group.“As a college professor, it is really important to me that I am learning or teaching something new every day,” Maggie said. She was able to teach the volunteer groups from high schools and colleges whose build weeks intersected with her time at Habitat. 

Maggie and Bob Appenzeller left Forsyth County with a strong sense of fulfillment after contributing to a project bigger than themselves. Next summer, Bob and Maggie are taking the skills they learned in Forsyth County to their local Habitat affiliate in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

In the News: Fox 8 Highlights

Habitat Forsyth's Homeownership Program